New York Cheesecake

 Creamy, rich, dense, and highly indulgent NEW YORK CHEESECAKE. Top it with a fresh strawberry compote, or leave it bare and simple. Either way, you won’t be stopping at just one slice! 

How are you doing, folks? Just when you thought Mother’s Day would be just like any other regular days, here comes this stunning New York-style cheesecake!

It’s as good as it looks and obviously quite easier to make than you think it is. Yep! Even my sister who just made this for the first time didn’t break any sweat at all! It’s as easy as… 

• Pre-baking the graham crust 
• Mixing altogether the cheesecake filling ingredients 
• Baking for about 2 ½ –3  hours until it sets. 

Delightful, isn’t it? Heck, you can make this any time you want. But for now, we’ll have to make sure to add this decadent homemade cheesecake recipe to celebrate Mother’s Day this coming Sunday. Are you ready to sprinkle a bit of fun and magic in your kitchen? Let’s get baking! 

What is New York Cheesecake

Cheesecake often gets a bad rap for being a tedious one to make. But this famous New York Cheesecake recipe is probably the most newbie-friendly one.

Other than being a foolproof decadent treat, New York Cheesecake is ultra-dense, rich, creamy yet firm with a beautiful medley of sweet and tangy flavors. Some version of this cheesecake would also call for heavy cream instead of sour cream and with added fruit flavorings or none. 

What is the Difference Between a New York Cheesecake and Regular?

But what’s really the difference between regular cheesecake and its New York cousin? 

Well, first of all, not all cheesecakes are created equal. They all shine in their own way. They can be creamier, denser, baked, or no-baked. (Check out this Different Types of Cheesecakes HERE). 

The thing that separates these two though is that a New York Cheesecake uses more cream cheese compared to the regular cheesecakes. As a result, it’s so rich and dense compared to the sour cream and heavy cream combination used in the regular ones. 

Not only that, but you can also tell that it’s a New York-style due to its well-defined sweet and tangy flavor from sour cream and fresh lemon juice.

 

 Tips in Making New York-style Cheesecake

As mentioned earlier, you have the discretion to make this homemade cheesecake even without the strawberry topping. You’d surely be surprised at how amazing it taste even without the extra add-ins. But don’t get excited yet ‘coz I’ll be sharing some major tips to make your first cheesecake a success! 

• A springform pan is a must! This type of pan has features on its side that can be removed from the base. Thus, making it easier for us to detach the cake without flipping the whole pan which looks like it’d be a disaster if you imagine it. 
• Buuut, if you really don’t have a springform pan, use any round cake pan you have on hand. Just be sure to line the inside of the pan with foil or parchment paper to make it easier to remove when you finished cooking. 
• Keeping your cheesecake chilled for at least 6 hours is worth all the wait! If you can keep it in the fridge overnight, the better. After all, cheesecakes are the ultimate make-ahead chilled dessert! The waiting game is probably *THE* letdown when it comes to making cheesecakes. 
• To get the pretty and clean slices, dip your knife in hot water. Then dry it off and slice. The warm knife will cut cleanly for pretty slices. 

Cheesecake Toppings

This rich and dense cheesecake is obviously great with a strawberry compote. But you can always swap it with any of your favorite berries. If not, you can always dress up your cheesecake with any of these topping ideas. 

• Homemade Whipped Cream 
• Powdered sugar 
• Fresh fruits 
• Homemade Raspberry Sauce (paired with my Flourless Chocolate Cake, too) 
• Crushed Oreos 
• Caramel sauce 
• Hot fudge 
• Toasted coconut 

Making Ahead and Storing

This homemade cheesecake recipe will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make sure to wrap it up with a plastic wrap.

As for freezing, you can either freeze the whole cheesecake or as individual slices. Wrap it up first with a plastic wrap, then double wrap with an aluminum foil. Next, place it in a zip-top freezer-friendly bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, just thaw the cheesecake overnight in the fridge. 

More Dessert Recipes You Can Make on Mother’s Day

• Flourless Chocolate Cake 
• Carrot Cake 
• Flan Recipe 
• Strawberry Shortcake 

 

How To Make New York Cheesecake

 

Preheat oven to 375 F. Brush a 10-inch springform pan with butter. Set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and salt using a wooden spoon until evenly combined. If you like a thick crust, double the crust recipe and cook for about 5 minutes longer. Press graham cracker mixture into bottom and up the sides of the springform pan and bake until set. About 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce heat to 200 F.

 

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer using a paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese, sugar, salt, and cornstarch until evenly combined – about 1 minute. Scrape sides with a rubber spatula. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix well. 

Followed by egg yolks, mix, then add whole eggs. Finally add milk and continue mixing until all the ingredients have been mixed in.

Pour batter into the springform pan. Set aside for 10 minutes until bubbles form on the surface. Using a fork to pop the bubbles. Make sure the oven is at 200 F. Then transfer springform pan to the oven and bake until set. About 3 – 3 ½ hours. The batter should jiggle a bit when nudged. To be more specific, if the center of your cake registers at 165 degrees F, then you are good to go. Carefully take out the cheesecake from the oven and then bump up the temperature to 450 degrees F. When the oven is at 450 degrees F, return cheesecake back to the oven and place on the upper rack, bake until top is evenly browned about 4-8 minutes. Start checking after 2-3 minutes. It browns quickly. 

Remove as soon as it brown. Remove from the oven and let cool it cool for 5 minutes; run a paring knife between cheesecake and side of the springform pan to make it easier for the cheesecake to come off when ready to slice the cake. Let it cool down, this might take approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and firmly set, at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. You can’t rush perfection. To get the pretty and clean slices, dip your knife in hot water. Then dry it off and slice. The warm knife will cut cleanly for pretty slices.